April 16, 2014 3:40am EDTApril 15, 2014 4:05pm EDTWith just two days remaining in the NBA season, it now seems safe to fill out the ballot for this year’s league awards. While certain categories were easy to pick this season, some were especially difficult for SN's Sean Deveney.LeBron James(AP Photo)

With a day remaining in the NBA season, it now seems safe to fill out the ballot for this year’s league awards. While certain categories were easy to pick this season, some were especially difficult, and some categories could yield surprises. Here’s how things stacked up:

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Most Improved Player

I don’t vote this award based on a player making natural year-to-year progress, but rather, someone who has significantly upped his game either by adding a new wrinkle, developing consistency or raising his overall play out of the blue. Nobody has done that more than Green, who was out of the league for two years, worked his way to a three-year contract with the Pacers but could never get his footing in Indiana. This year, he excelled for the Suns and was a big part of that team’s surprising rise, averaging 15.8 points and developing into a knock-down 3-point shooter (6.2 attempts per game, making 40.0 percent).

1. Gerald Green, Suns.

2. Goran Dragic, Suns.

3. Lance Stephenson, Pacers.

Coach of the Year

There are plenty of candidates — it was difficult to leave off Portland’s Terry Stotts — but none who had to deal with the level of adversity that struck Thibodeau’s Bulls this season. It began just four weeks into the year, with Derrick Rose injuring his knee, and continued with the subsequent giveaway of Luol Deng for luxury tax reasons. Despite those losses, the Bulls bucked the odds and remained among the best teams in the East, sitting on 48 wins. Thibodeau’s level approach and vaunted defensive system deserve credit for that.

1. Tom Thibodeau, Bulls.

2. Jeff Hornacek, Suns.

3. Gregg Popovich, Spurs.

Rookie of the Year

It was a generally terrible crop of rookies, and the ones who posted the biggest numbers happened to play for horrible, horrible teams. In the end, it proved too difficult to overlook just how bad the Sixers are and give my vote to Michael Carter-Williams. Instead, the pick is Mason Plumlee, who has stepped into a starting role for Brooklyn and helped rescue the Nets’ season. His numbers — 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds — are not overwhelming, but the contribution he made to a winning team should be recognized.

1. Mason Plumlee, Nets.

2. Michael Carter-Williams, Sixers.

3. Victor Oladipo, Magic.

Defensive Player of the Year

There is generally a pattern to how Defensive Player of the Year gets chosen — identify the team with the best defense and give the award to their big guy. In doing so, though, voters ignore the contribution of perimeter defenders, and almost always overlook just how well some star perimeter players can defend. James is a good example. As much as his overall offense game has improved, he has also become a shutdown perimeter defender and a great help defender. It’s a sure bet that a big guy will win the award this year, but my vote goes to James.

Most Valuable Player

This is probably the only no-brainer on the ballot, as even James has all but conceded that Kevin Durant should be the league’s MVP. James had stellar numbers, but even with Russell Westbrook dealing with injuries, Durant was able to carry his team to 58 wins and the second-best record in the league. He will win the scoring title (31.9 points per game) and will do so shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 39.3 percent from the 3-point line and 87.3 percent from the free-throw line. He leads the league in efficiency rating (29.9) and usage rate (33.0) — pretty much all signs point to Durant taking home the award.